Oklahoma House Bill HB3193

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/24
• Refer: 2/6/24

Caption

Water and water rights; spacing rules; effective date.

Impact

If enacted, HB3193 will directly impact the management of groundwater resources by regulating the spacing of water wells throughout the state. This is particularly important as water scarcity is an ongoing concern in many regions of Oklahoma. The bill empowers the Water Resource Board to promulgate additional rules under the Administrative Procedures Act, designed to facilitate an orderly withdrawal of water and ensure that groundwater resources are allocated fairly among landowners overlying the basins.

Summary

House Bill 3193 aims to amend current laws regarding spacing rules for drilling new water wells in Oklahoma. The bill seeks to ensure adequate spacing between newly proposed and existing wells to prevent over-extraction and potential depletion of groundwater resources. The primary provisions of the bill include specifying a distance of 1,320 feet for wells within bedrock groundwater basins and 660 feet for those within alluvium and terrace groundwater basins from existing wells. Furthermore, it imposes a restriction of 300 feet from property boundaries for any new well locations.

Contention

Discussion surrounding HB3193 could lead to various points of contention. Proponents of the bill may argue that it is a necessary step to conserve Oklahoma's precious water resources and to mitigate conflicts between neighboring landowners over water access. Conversely, opponents might contend that such regulations could hinder local landowners’ rights to access water and impede agricultural and commercial activities that depend on well water, potentially sparking debate on the balance between regulation and property rights in the state.